The Bright Light Of Konoha
by Daniel Goldberg
Summary: At six years old, Naruto is adopted by a reluctantly returning Tsunade. As he learns about his family, and about life, can he overcome years of abuse and neglect? Will he find love, or only pain? Pairing uncertain: currently NaruHina, NaruKure or NaruSaku


Hello, everyone, old and new, to another Goldberg work. I'm very excited to be able to share with you a new story, especially since I'll be going off to Boot Camp for the following month or two, starting tommorow, and won't have a lot of time for writing. I hope you enjoy what little there is to this chapter, and hopefully, I'll manage to squeeze out another one within these two months.

I'd like to emphasize that this is an AU fic. Very AU, as some of the characters (very specific characters) have been de-aged to fit my plans better. Also, this story shifts from Kishimoto-senpai's continuity at a few days before Naruto's sixth birthday, and from then on, will become quite different from canon. I'm hoping that that's a good thing.

To all of the readers of A Different Sort of Naruto (a pretty awesome fic, if I may say so myself - which I shouldn't, but still...), I am far from abandoning ADSN. I've simply reached another bump on the road with it, and don't quite know how to continue with it. That, and this idea has been boring a hole in my mind for the past few weeks, and I had to get it out before it did any permanent damage.

**Pairing:** While the story is currently listed as Naruto / Hinata, and while at the moment I do see a great chance for this to end up NaruHina, I am making no promises, because another girl may very well come in and steal him from her. At the moment, I think that second place is probably Kurenai (de-aged, like I wrote above), and third place is Sakura. There will be a few more girls gunning for Naruto's heart, but, at the moment, those are the ones most likely to succeed.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Well, I do own _this_ Naruto, but I don't own Naruto's Naruto... Wait, did I get that right? (mutters to himself for a few minutes)... Well, doesn't matter, ON TO THE STORY!**

* * *

The Bright Light of Konoha 

By: Daniel Goldberg

Chapter One: The Child

* * *

A child lies on the cold, wooden floor of his room. He has no blanket, nor a pillow, or even a futon to lie on. He isn't allowed. He is to sleep on the floor. He always sleeps on the floor. The grownups in his orphanage never gave him a bed. He never asked. He didn't know to ask. He has no other choice. He knows no other life. 

His spiky blond hair falls over his eyes. He has to cut it himself. The grownups won't do it for him. He doesn't mind it. He doesn't know to mind it.

It will be his sixth birthday in a few days, he knows. Nothing important; just another day. He never gets presents. He never asks. He doesn't think he deserves one. No one ever said he did.

He shivers. The T-shirt and shorts he wore – the only garments in his possession – were not enough to ward off the October winds. That his room's window is broken doesn't help either. The grownups don't fix his window, even though he asked. This he knew to ask; He had been warm once. Not now, but he had been, once upon a time.

His eyes open. He can't fall asleep. He wanted to go down to the orphanage's kitchen, but he knew it was useless. His door was locked. The grownups always lock it at night. He isn't allowed out of his room after eight o'clock. And in case he needs to go to the bathroom, they gave him a bucket. Luckily, he is simply thirsty. But he can manage without a drink; He'd done so many a time before.

He sits up against the wall beside his door. He probably won't sleep again tonight. Not after that nightmare. Sometimes, at night, his dreams would turn to nightmares; images of death, blood and destruction. And there was always a beast causing it all – A nine-tailed fox; The Kyuubi no Youko. He didn't know why he dreamed of it – he was only a little baby when it came to Konoha. He didn't remember it at all. But he paid those thoughts no heed, instead turning to thoughts of the man that had killed the Kyuubi – the Yondaime Hokage.

He always looked up to the man that sacrificed himself to save the village. He also always wondered why the man did it – What was it about this place that was so important to the Yondaime, that he would give his life to try and save it. He wishes he could find a reason to give his life like that. He wants his existence to mean something. But, somehow, he doesn't think it will ever really happen.

He falls asleep where he sits, his back to the splintered wood wall, his legs on the cold wood floor. He is Uzumaki Naruto. A lone orphan that no one has ever cared for, and no one ever will.

His head slides sideways from where he sat, to land hard on the floor. He doesn't even wake up – he's used to the pain. It'll go away soon enough.

He always was a fast healer.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama," A young, black-haired girl holding a small piglet said to the blond woman walking beside her, "Is that...?" 

Said woman nodded as her eyes caught sight of what her assistant must have spotted, "Yes, it is," She said, a slight barb in her speech.

A faint smell of sake came from the man laughing and singing not even sixty feet from the pair, and his mane of white hair billowed and fluttered as he danced (decidedly drunkenly) in the middle of the road. Spouting off some odd, off-key rendition of a Christmas carol that had been changed to include a praising of the worlds four fine delicacies – women, alcohol, ramen and dango. With an ecchi emphasis on the women.

"Jiraiya-sama," The girl said in disgust-diluted awe, "I never thought I would meet him."

Tsunade snorted, "Don't say that like it's an honor, Shizune-chan. You'd be much better off not meeting that pervert at all."

"But, Tsunade-sama," Shizune argued lightly, "He's your old teammate, from the days of the Sannin, isn't he? Aren't you going to at least say hello?"

"No," The blonde replied, "All that will do is bring back painful memories; I have no fond ones of Konoha, or of him."

Shizune didn't like this. She hated seeing how her mistress seemed to hate Konoha more and more with each passing day, especially since the shinobi village had been the only place she had ever called home. "But, Tsunade-sa–", she began, only to be interrupted swiftly by the Sannin.

"In fact," she said, turning right around, "We'd better go the other way quickly, before he noticed us." And with that, she began walking, forcing her apprentice to catch up with her.

Shizune sighed when she had finally caught up to her master. That man could have had news about the Konoha; news she had been desperate for these past six years. All this time, Tsunade had rejected any attempt at conversation about Konoha, no matter what it had been about. Shizune thought she had heard once something about a monster that attacked the village, but, as her master had quickly sent her away from the room, she couldn't be sure. This man could have had some answers for her. But it was lost – there would be no chance for her to talk with the man.

"Oi!" Came a loud, boisterous, and obviously drunk voice, "Hime-chan, wait up!"

Or would there be?

* * *

Tsunade sighed, patting the head of the child she had taken with her on this journey; the child that was now sleeping by her side, a content smile on her lips. _Probably glad we're going back, aren't you, Shizune-chan?_ The girl had obviously been itching to visit her childhood home again, although she never would have done so alone. 

The Sannin, however, was not content with this in the least. Not so much about the fact that they were going back to Konoha, so much as the circumstances that had required her to return. The circumstances described in the letter that Jiraiya had given her.

'I found this in Konoha a few months back,' He had said 'They finally removed the ban they had on me from searching the Kazama clan house's ruins. I found this in Arashi's den.' He then held up a scroll – the same scroll she was holding right now – and said, 'It's addressed to you.'

Tsunade reopened the scroll, again reading the words that the Yondaime Hokage had left her in his letter;

_Dear Tsunade-__obasan,_

_If you receive this scroll, it means that my plan to defeat the Kyuubi was a success, since otherwise it would have been razed with the rest of Konoha. If all had gone according to plan, it shouldn't be more than a few weeks since the Kyuubi's final attack, in which I intend to put my plan to work._

_My plan, if the bearer of this letter hadn't told you, is this; I have, quite recently, theoretically perfected a sealing jutsu that _should_ be powerful enough to seal away the demon that had been attacking our village at random intervals for the past month. Using this jutsu, I should be able to seal away the Kyuubi, so that it can no longer harm the village._

_There are, however, two blaring issues concerning this jutsu. The first is that a very big sacrifice is needed to summon the shinigami – the only being in our plane of existence with the power to seal away such a powerful demon as the Kitsune – a single human life, that is; More precisely, my own. I will not dwell on this point, as I have made my decision, and have no regrets about giving my life for the sake of this village._

_I did, however, mention a second issue with this jutsu, or rather, with this particular sealing; Where to seal the Kyuubi. It cannot be sent to hell, for, being a demon, it will easily escape it (as it does every time it attacks Konoha); It, unlike Shukaku, the tanuki demon, cannot be sealed within an inanimate object – its chakra is far too great and powerful; Whatever we would attempt to seal it in would surely shatter in a matter of minutes._

_And so, I, along with Sarutobi-sensei, have decided that our only option is to seal it within a living human. As young as possible, so that there won't be any complications with the adjustments the body's chakra pathways will have to make. We've decided it too dangerous for a child older than two weeks to be the demon's 'jailor'. And sadly, there is but one child younger than two weeks in the village at the moment._

_That child is my son, Naruto. He was born two days ago, and he's the most adorable, blonde, blue-eyed little thing I've ever seen. I just wish that Shizuka could see him – he has her smile – but she died during the birth. I gave him her clan name in her memory; There are still several Kazama in the world, but Shizuka had been the last of the Uzumaki. Sad as I am that I won't see her face again until the afterlife, I am now far more filled with concern for Naruto._

_Because, when I'm gone, Naruto won't have anyone to take care of him – Sarutobi-sensei will have his hands full being Hokage again (if Konoha will still be standing after I perform the jutsu, that is), and somehow I doubt that there will be someone willing to raise the person that holds the Kyuubi within them. In fact, I fear that Naruto will be treated as a sub-human._

_And, while _I_ can't do anything to save him from such fate, you, my dear aunt, can. So I beg of you, please return to Konoha, and take care of my boy. I don't want him to suffer the loneliness I fear lies in store for him. I know that this is asking much of you, who had left Konoha of her own will, but I ask that you fulfill this, the final request of a man that will soon be among the dead._

_Please, take care of Naruto. Care for him, teach him, and love him, as though he was your own. Of our entire clan, you are the nearest to him in blood, and nearest to me in heart. I can only trust you with this._

_Your nephew,_

_Kazama Arashi._

_PS: Love ya, old hag._

Tsunade gave off something between a chuckle and a sigh, at the contrast between the postscript and the rest of the letter. But, then again, Arashi always was a man of many contrasts.

She had been saddened to read of Shizuka's fate, as the woman had always been such a fount of life, excitement and cheer, so unlike the meaning of her name – peaceful – but in very much a good way.

She had been even sadder, and quite shocked, at what has befallen her nephew's child. That he had lost his mother before he had known her was a great shame, but not something that was entirely uncommon. That he had lost his father only days afterwards was sorrowful, but also not exactly something unheard-of.

But that he had been charged (without the possibility of choice) with being the jail and jailor of the Kyuubi no Youko was positively tragic. And that this message, and she herself, as a result, would arrive some six years later than intended heaped a good dose of misfortune onto the already frightfully morose fate of her nephew's son.

And, though she had thus far neglected her duties to the child (albeit unintentionally, as she hadn't even known of the boy before the letter), she had no intention of prolonging this separation.

Even if she hated the thought of going back to that accursed village.

* * *

Ishiha Kujaku was a simple adult Genin. He had yet to make it to chuunin, and severely doubted he ever would. He didn't mind much, however; all ninja villages had a majority of Genin in their fighting forces; not all people who were good enough to be ninja were good enough to lead other ninja (and become Chuunin), or had the pure potential to become an incredibly adept combatant (as were many Special Jounin, and all regular Jounin, hunter-nin, and the Elite Jounin of most ninja powers). 

Genin, while not elite warriors or talented leaders, were good for some things besides gardening, babysitting and the like; Genin, in fact, were very effective in major combat. It was a very well known fact that, with enough experience, a combat-specialist Genin could easily take out a jack-of-all-trades Chuunin (it had also been claimed that with some luck, as well as the right tools, one such Genin could take out a jack-of-all-trades Jounin as well; although this had never been proven).

That they didn't have great versatility in their skills simply meant that they were placed in squadrons where their specific talents would be best put to use. For instance, there was Hyuuga Mouten, whose keen control over her Byakugan made her an integral part of the infiltration force that took out that Iwa cell hidden just outside Konoha's Training Area #17 – the Grove of Doom (Which wasn't as impressive, as vast, or as dangerous as the Forest of Death, but was still good enough for training), despite her complete lack of skills at Jyuuken, or any of the other ninja talent that the clan was famous for. A mere Genin, but, specialized as she was, crucial to that counter-terrorism effort.

There were other stories, too, along the same vein – from Chikan Otome's surprisingly competent skills at seduction and the other Kunoichi Arts, to Hakuchi Tonchiki's strange talent for taming mules for battle (not a very useful talent, but still one of note), Genin were an integral part of Konoha's society.

Which was why Kujaku didn't feel _quite_ so peeved at the fact that he had been assigned gate-keeping duty at the main gate; someone had to do it, after all.

That his eyes, drooping from tiredness (a result of his late night sake-binge of the day before – Got to remember; no sake after two in the morning on a Tuesday) soon came upon the approaching forms of a stunning blonde in her mid-twenties (who seemed slightly familiar) and a young, black-haired girl (holding, of all things, a pig) did little to either cheer, or wake him up.

Until he realized precisely _why_ the woman was so familiar, that is. "Tsunade-sama!" He yelped, bolting from his position by the gate to the woman. His mouth and vocal chords (without any prompting, or, indeed, even permission from his brain) began to sound off some semi-comprehensible sentences about his joy at her return, his confidence at the whole village's joy at her return, and, for some inexplicable reason, grilled cheese sandwiches.

It was at that culinary commentary that Tsunade lifted her hand to level with his eye, prepared, and… flicked the Genin into the wall beside the gate.

As he was losing consciousness within his new Kujaku-shaped hole, he could hear the blonde Sannin's voice.

"Oh, quit looking at me like that, Shizune; that baka was giving me a headache." Her voice rung out as darkness began to set in on his aching head.

"Besides, I don't even _like_ grilled cheese sandwiches."

* * *

The orphanage's playground was silent. And, as anyone who had ever been to a playground knew, a silent playground was anything but common; especially at nine in the morning, with almost all of the kids outside. It was just not something of the ordinary. 

Naruto didn't like 'not of the ordinary'. 'Not of the ordinary' usually got him bruised and battered. So he couldn't really be blamed for, upon seeing a beautiful blonde woman, with an air of dignity and power about her, having run off and hid. Not after that ordeal with the head of the Hyuuga, anyway.

Tsunade was welcomed at the orphanage where she was told Naruto was with awed silence. Which she was used to, but still… _Never mind that, now, _She told herself; it was far more important to find Naruto. _Shouldn't be too hard, though,_ She thought, _Can't be all that many blue-eyed blondes in all of Konoha, much less this single orphanage._

Looking at the kids, she searched for the son of her departed nephew. Problem was, there wasn't a single blonde in the bunch. It was then that she noticed him; A boy, his hair the color of the shining sun, was apparently attempting to hide behind one of the poles holding up a swing set. And in his eyes, in those big sky-blue orbs, there was curiosity, awe, and a good bit of trepidation.

She neared him slowly, keeping her gaze fixed on his face. The boy, noticing this, backed away, as though he was scared of her. "Naruto?" She asked, "Are you Uzumaki Naruto?"

Who was this woman? The thought ran through his mind as he slowly backed away from her. He didn't know her, he didn't know who she was, and people seemed to be respectful of her. In Naruto's experience, such a person usually (with the exception of the old man with the big hat that the grownups called Hokage) meant trouble for him. Especially if the person knew his name. Thus, Naruto let out the words that had become his conditioned reflex when dealing with people like this, "Please… Don't hurt me…"

_Oh, gods,_ Tsunade thought sadly, _What have they done to this boy?_ She took a few more steps towards him, and, noting that this time he didn't back away, crouched down to his eye-level, and said, "I'm not going to do anything to you." She gave him a smile, "You're Naruto, right?"

_Well, she seems nice enough…_ That she chose not to tower over him, or rush and grab him, was also good, in his opinion. He decided that it might be worth the risk now, and nodded, "That's me." He didn't ask her for her name. The grownups in the orphanage had beaten it into him (sometimes literally) that he was not allowed to ask a grownup's name – if they'd wanted him to know, they'd tell him without prompting.

"Good," The woman said, "I'm Tsunade." She held out her hand to him, "I'm here to adopt you."

_A– Adopt? Me!?_ Naruto could hardly process such a foreign concept; someone actually _wanted_ him? Someone wanted to take care of him? Someone wanted to be… his family? It couldn't be true… There was just no way that… that _anyone_ would ever want him. It must be some sort of trick. Such things have been played on him before, and he would gain hope, only to have it broken and shattered as the adult, whomever it had been, would abuse him, beat him, and drop him back at the orphanage. But, for some reason, his legs wouldn't move, and so he couldn't either.

It should be noted that, at six years old, Naruto had a rather… uncommon thinking process; that there was no-one in the world that he could really, truly trust. Considering that he had been repeatedly abused and neglected almost since he had been old enough to breath, that wasn't really unexpected. A shame? Definitely. But not unexpected.

It didn't help that at the moment Tsunade had uttered those words, a gasp had run through the observing crowd, and the orphanage's house-mother had rushed over, all but yelling, "Tsunade-sama, you can't be serious!" The old hag voiced, appalled at the thought of someone of the Sannin's stature taking in that… that Demon, "He is _that_ boy." She said, as though that would convince the woman not to take in the child.

Hands up, anyone who _knows_ Tsunade didn't appreciate that.

A vein bulged on the blond woman's forehead, "House mother," She began dangerously, "I would heavily suggest you weigh your words very, _very_ carefully. And if you would be so kind, draw up the adoption papers for Naruto, here." The last was said with a tone that clearly specified, 'or else…'

After having… convinced the house-mother that the best (and least damaging) course of action was to follow the Sannin's instruction, Tsunade turned back to the slightly shivering child that she was now so intent to bring under her wing, if only to protect him from the awful treatment he must have been getting, if the fact that his first words to her were a plea that she not harm him was any indication. "Naruto," She said, "Come inside with me, please?" She held out her hand to him once more, "I want to finalize this and get you out of here – this place gives me the willies."

And, even full of trepidation and suspicion as he was, something about the woman told him that, at the very least, he could trust her not to hurt him. So, he held a shaky hand out to grasp hers, and walked with her inside the buildings, and semi-led her to the house-mother's office. Silence surrounded them as they walked, until he spoke.

"Why…?" He began, then stopped, as though unsure of what he was even going to ask.

"Why do I want to adopt you?" Tsunade inquired, receiving a small nod from the child. "It's very simple, really; I'm family."

Blue eyed went wide.

* * *

And that's the end of Chapter One: The Child. I hope you enjoyed it, and, hopefully, I'll be able to answer whatever questions you may have at the end of this chapter: 

**1) Name Translations:** You've probably noticed this, but I created quite a few mentioned-only-by-name characters for this world. I'd like to mention that none of them will be making appearances in this story (except, maybe, for Ishiha Kujaku, who might be on the recieving end of some more pain, and Uzumaki Shizuka - Naruto's Mother - who will be referenced throughout the fic). Anyway, these are the translations for the names, and reasons for why I chose them.

Naruto's Father, Yondaime Hokage; Kazama Arashi: Arashi means storm or tempest, and I don't know what Kazama means, but this name was chosen for no poetic/prosaic reasons, but simply because it's very common fanon, of which I'm a heavy enthusiast myself.

Naruto's Mother; Uzumaki Shizuka: Uzumaki means whirlpool or vortex, and Shizuka means peaceful. I chose this name for the irony it was to have with Shizuka's personality, which was, as Tsunade hinted, and as you'll find out later on, not very peaceful at all.

Genin Guard; Ishiha Kujaku: I chose this name for him because the word ishihakujaku (his clan and first names combined) means 'lacking a purpose'. I thought that that was very appropriate for someone who serves little purpose in the story, beyond comic relief.

Genin Scout in the Counter-Terrorism Mission Outside Training Area #17; Hyuuga Mouten: Mouten means 'blind spot'. I thought that it was ironic on two levels - first, she's a Hyuuga. Supposedly, the _don't have_ blind spots. Second, she supposedly had almost perfect control over her Byakugan, and, thus, almost no blind spots whatsoever.

Genin Battle Mule Tamer; Hakuchi Tonchiki: Hakuchi means idiot, Tonchiki means dimwit. I think that's fitting for his chosen talent. And I shall say no more!

Genin Seduction Expert Extraordinaire; Chikan Otome: Chikan means pervert, Otome means girl - hopefully, Chikan Otome means pervert girl. No further explanations needed.

**2) Naruto's Personality: **As you had to notice, Naruto in this story is far from the Naruto that we see in the anime or the manga. He's not very active, a fair bit frightful, and doesn't actually have a sense of 'I can aspire to great things'. This is Naruto, as I see him, while he was still in the orphanage. My theory is that he was either kicked out, or moved out, when he was about seven or eight, following a decision he'd make not to surrender, and to become a ninja. In my story, he had yet to arrive at that point, and so was still without the 'mask of the Baka' that we all know from the beginning of the first chapter/episode of the manga/anime. Actually, I just realized that we do see him in the manga and the anime; The Naruto that's sitting on the swing and looking at all the people that came to pick up their children who either failed or passed the exam, while he neither passed, nor has anyone to pick him up - that is my Naruto. Hopefully that's enough for you not to flame me with 'OOC!!!' messages.

**3) Forum: **I'd like to direct you to the BLoK (Bright Light of Konoha) forum, now available through the 'my forums' link on my profile page. You can give me all your gripes that you couldn't fit in your review there. If anyone wants to create a topic to discuss pairings, the different Naruto, or what the hell did that baka say about grilled cheese sandwiches, they are so very, very welcome! I'd like feedback on that level, as well as the review level. Please, people, it's only a few clicks away, and I'd really appreciate that sort of feedback. And now I'm going to stop begging, and give you a preview.

**Well, on the next chapter of The Bright Light Of Konoha: Chapter Two: The First Day:** We learn about how his first day with Tsunade and Shizune went, and Naruto learns a bit about his parents. Also, Naruto decides he wants to become a Ninja, but Tsunade has many reservations about that. What will happen? You'll just have to wait and see, kiddies!

Ja,

Daniel Goldberg


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